


Cry Me A River

by What_the_hale



Series: Misery Business [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Betrayal, Break Up, Cheating, Cheating Derek Hale, Emotionally Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Heavy Angst, Infidelity, M/M, no happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:20:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25742737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/What_the_hale/pseuds/What_the_hale
Summary: Stiles gets answers.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Misery Business [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775476
Comments: 77
Kudos: 303





	Cry Me A River

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically a direct continuation of the previous fic, so I highly recommend that you read that first.
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments and love on the previous fic! Your comments were so wonderful that they kicked my ass into writing. So if you commented (especially if you commented multiple times) then this is for you! I hope it doesn't disappoint.

When Derek arrived home, all he wanted to do was curl up on the couch with his husband, like he did every day after work. He worked as an accountant, and the hours weren’t bad (his inheritance meant he didn’t really need to make much money, making his job flexible). He enjoyed the job, and liked working through equations and helping people with their money, but he still found every day that he longed to come home and hold his husband (or be held by him).

Derek loved that word. Husband. Stiles was so much more than he could ever deserve, but he was his, and his greatest fear was losing him.

When he got home, it quickly seemed possible that that fear was being realized.

The first thing that hit him was the scent. The scent of home, a mix of Stiles and Derek that was probably his favorite scent in the world, was still there, underlying. But there was an overwhelming attack on his senses when he got a whiff of Stiles’ lingering emotions. They were so intense, yet he struggled to define them each. There was so much hurt, and anger, and shock.

Derek’s heart stopped when he made out the scent of fear.

After the life Derek had led, he tended to assume the worst. What others would find rational explanations were rarely the correct ones. He liked to think that Stiles had just had a bad day, but his absence and the apartment’s disarray made him think otherwise.

He thought through the possibilities. Maybe Stiles was kidnapped? It wouldn’t be first the time, and would explain the upsetting scents, destroyed items, and his absence. But there was no scent of any intruders, no scent of anybody other than them. It was possible that someone could cover their scent, but it was difficult, and usually left some sort of artificial smell in its place.

There was also the possibility Stiles left of his own free will. But if that was the case, there was still something wrong, something that had upset him. And when something was wrong, Stiles always let Derek know. They needed that sort of communication to survive in a world like theirs.

Derek checked his phone to make sure he hasn’t missed anything. There were no notifications from Stiles. No texts or missed calls. He attempted to call him, but went straight to voicemail. Maybe his phone was dead? But that flimsy explanation did little to ease his worry.

He decided to leave a voicemail. “Please call me back when you get the chance. I don’t know what’s going on but I know something’s wrong. I just want to know you’re okay. I love you.”

He stared at his phone for a couple more moments after he hung up, hoping Stiles had maybe just missed his call, but of course nothing happened.

Derek’s next thought was by far the worst. It was possible Stiles was possessed. It had happened a couple of times already to Stiles, and it usually led to Stiles going off and leaving destruction in his wake. The past possessions had almost killed him, both from the ordeals and the resulting guilt, and Derek prayed that was not the case this time. He wasn’t sure he could bear to see Stiles go through that again, and wasn’t sure if Stiles would be able to survive it (or even want to).

Derek had no idea which scenario was most likely. All he knew was that Stiles was in trouble. And trouble always led back to Beacon Hills.

~~~

When Derek arrived to Beacon Hills, the first place he went was the Sheriff’s house. Derek figured that if Stiles got distressing news, the most likely place he would go if he wasn’t at home was his father’s house. And if something else was wrong, his father would certainly want to know.

Derek barely remembered to park the car when he arrived to the house as he rushed out of his car to the Stilinski home. He pounded on the front door. He knew where the spare key was hidden, but didn’t want to scare John.

Moments later, the door was opened, and the first thing that hit Derek was the strong stench of alcohol. The sheriff had a beer every now and then, but for the most part didn’t drink. After his wife had died, he had relied far too heavily on alcohol, and had neglected his son as a result. He had gotten his act together, and now never drank heavily, too afraid to go down that dark path again. That’s how Derek immediately knew something was wrong, and his fears about Stiles were momentarily forgotten.

Derek reached out and put a hand on his shoulder, his face etched with concern when he asked, “What’s wrong? Are you okay? What’s going on?”

John pulled his shoulder away from Derek’s grasp, and looked past his shoulder, avoiding eye contact. “He knows.”

“Knows what? What are you talking about?” Derek asked, his frustration and anxiety rising.

John finally looked at Derek. “He knows about us.”

That’s when Derek detected the lingering scent of Stiles, and all of the earlier hurt he had held at the apartment, and didn’t need to ask for clarification.

“Oh god.” Derek stumbled away. He briefly thought that he should probably help John, comfort him in some way. But that’s what had gotten them into this whole mess. Derek took off running before he even consciously knew where he was going.

~~~

The betrayal, the hurt, the anger, the pain, the shock, all of it was bad. But as Stiles reached Scott’s front door, it was the humiliation that was really tearing away at his soul.

Stiles would have to tell Scott, not only because it was literally impossible to lie to him (fucking werewolf hearing), but also because he deserved to know if Stiles was going to be staying with him.

But he just felt so embarrassed. Embarrassment was something that he had learned to ignore growing up as a hyperactive, clumsy kid with ADHD, and then as the only untrained human in a werewolf pack. Taking time to evaluate and cringe at all he did just wasn’t an option. He just rolled with it, and laughed at himself before anyone else could.

But this didn’t really feel like a laughing matter. This felt like being stripped bare and flayed in front of the whole world, all of the confidence Derek had helped him build up crumbling, leaving him defenseless. But even if the armor he had relied on was gone, that didn’t mean he was weak. He would not let this betrayal destroy him. He would use it to become stronger, less naive, so he would never have to face this same pain again.

Steeling himself, Stiles knocked on the door. Unsurprisingly, Scott answered moments later, probably having heard Stiles’ arrival.

As hard as Stiles tried, he couldn’t stop the tears when he saw the concerned look on his best friend’s face. Scott immediately pulled him into a hug, and Stiles couldn’t help but melt. This was exactly what he needed. It didn’t fix things, but the comfort grounded him, and reminded him that he did still have people who loved him.

They sat together on the couch for a few minutes, Scott petting through Stiles’ hair as he tried to calm his sobs. It was reminiscent of high school, all the times Stiles comforted Scott after a bad break up, and Scott soothed Stiles when he had a panic attack. It reminded him of simpler times, back before Scott was bit and all of the supernatural drama began to plague his life.

Stiles detachedly thought of how strange it was. He always assumed it would be the supernatural that ruined his life, but in the end, it was merely human behavior. It was nothing more than the selfish way of man.

After Stiles had pulled himself together, Scott sat him up, moving him from where he lay on Scott’s lap but allowing him to rest on his shoulder. “Are you ready to tell me about what’s going on?” Scott asked gently.

Stiles took a deep breath. “Derek cheated on me,” Stiles let out a loud sob, and all of his composure was lost. He truly had meant to expand after that, but the words were caught in his throat, and he could do nothing more than cry.

Stiles clenched his eyes shut, because he didn’t want to see Scott’s reaction, although he was unsure what he was afraid he would see. Pity? Disgust? Maybe he just didn’t want to see any reaction, because bringing an outsider in would just make it more real. “I’m sorry, I can’t talk about this yet. Please, later. Just not right now.”

Scott nodded, because of course he did. He was good like that. “Kira will be home soon, and then we can have dinner. We can talk after we put Scarlet to bed.”

Stiles felt awful, remembering he was intruding into a perfectly happy, domestic family with his own bullshit problems, but he just nodded. Honestly, seeing his adorable goddaughter would probably help him calm down.

Scott and Stiles snuggled together on the couch while a movie played that Stiles couldn’t focus on, but at least it helped distract him. It was early afternoon on a weekday, and thinking about it, Stiles was really lucky Scott was home. It was possible he just had the day off, but it was also plausible that he took off when he got Stiles’ call. Either way, Stiles was grateful. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if he hadn’t had somewhere to go, but it wouldn't have been good.

~~~

Unfortunately, Derek arrived before they even make it to dinner. Kira hadn’t picked up Scarlet and come home, so Stiles guessed that counted as a small blessing. But he had really hoped he would have more time to gather himself. Well, what he had really hoped was that he would never have to see Derek again, but he had known that was unlikely.

Derek pounded on the front door. “Stiles! Please! I need to talk to you. Just let me explain, please!”

Scott turned hesitantly to Stiles. “Should I make him leave?”

Stiles shook his head. “No, it’s better to get this over with now, before your family gets home.”

Scott nodded, and opened the front door. Derek burst through, his eyes searching for Stiles. When he spotted him, he somehow seemed to both relax and tense up at the same time. He stepped forward with his arm lifted as if to reach for Stiles, but halted his movements when Stiles took a step back.

Derek was disheveled and sweaty, almost like- “Oh my god, did you run here?” Stiles asked.

Derek sheepishly nodded. “When I got to the apartment, I knew something was wrong, and you wouldn’t answer my calls, so I decided to drive down here. To Beacon Hills, I mean. And I went to your dad’s house first. And he told me about… what happened. I figured you would come here, and it’s quicker to cut through the preserve, so I ran. I needed to see you.”

“Well, great. Now you’ve seen me. Glad we got that out of the way. Since you talked to my dad, you know what’s going on. So you should know there’s nothing to talk about. I will never forgive you, and I’m leaving you. Simple. Now please leave.”

Derek furiously shakes his head. “No! Please, you just have to let me explain.”

Stiles paused. “I don’t have to do anything. But you know what, do I deserve an explanation. I don’t want to hear any of your useless apologies, I just want answers. So I will ask questions, you will answer them, and that’s it. I at least deserve that much.”

Derek nodded frantically. He looked pointedly at Scott, clearly suggesting he should leave.

“No,” Stiles snapped, stopping Scott in his tracks. “I never lied to you for the entirety of our relationship, and I never had the ability because of your built-in lie-detector. I thought you would extend the same courtesy to me. Clearly, it was foolish of me to trust you. So now that you’ve lost that trust, I need my own lie-detector, and that’s what Scott’s here for. If you try to say a single lie, he’ll let me know, so you can’t feed me any bullshit.” He turned his head, looking back at Scott. “Assuming that’s okay with you?”

Scott was visibly uncomfortable, but he was quick to agree. Scott had always been loyal like that. They all stood awkwardly for a moment, unsure of how to continue.

Stiles cleared his throat. “Well, I guess we might as well start. Let’s begin with the obvious question. Why did you have sex with my dad?” Scott let out a choked gasp and it occurred to Stiles that he never mentioned who Derek cheated with. Whoops.

Derek looked nervous, possibly more nervous than Stiles had ever seen him, and took a moment to collect himself. “Well… do you remember the summer after you had come back from college, I think it was after your sophomore year, maybe, and we officially got together? And only a couple of weeks after we became official, there was that witch that came to town. And she cast that awful spell that made me feral, and I was… insatiable. All I wanted to do was fuck. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. And you helped, a lot. For a couple of days actually. You helped keep me somewhat calm, and assisted with my… needs. But then you had to go with the pack because they had tracked down the witch and they thought you had the best chance of convincing, or forcing, her to reverse the spell or tell us how to stop it since you were the only one with a Spark. And so you went, and you left me in your room, surrounded by mountain ash. Scott was there to guard the house in case anyone tried to attack or something went wrong, but then Isaac called and said they may have scented an omega in the preserve while tracking the witch, and asked him to check it out. So he asked the sheriff to keep watch, since it was his house anyway. And I had begged Scott to fuck me up until he had left. It was easy enough for him to ignore me, especially since he couldn’t get past the mountain ash even if he had wanted to help me. But your dad… well, there was nothing physically stopping him. And I begged, I screamed and I roared, I think I probably sounded like I was dying. I don’t know, maybe he should have said no and maybe I should have resisted the spell more, but you have to know neither of us had been planning on it. He just wanted to help me and I just wanted to feel better. It was as simple as that. It was just more supernatural bullshit. And eventually, I passed out, and then the spell was broken. And I think we both thought it was better to forget about it and not tell you, because we didn’t want to needlessly hurt you. It was just a bad situation. Please know that it had nothing to do with you.”

Stiles turns to Scott, checking to see if Derek was telling the truth. Scott reluctantly nodded, and Derek visibly sighed in relief.

Stiles had a brief moment of his own relief. It was comforting to think the reasoning was supernatural. That was something Stiles could handle. Stiles knew what it was like to not have any control over your own body, to do things you would usually never condone. It was nice to think that this was nothing more than another case of supernatural bullshit.

Of course, that relief quickly disappeared when he remembered the video, in which Derek most definitely was not feral. “Well, that’s good to know. It sounds like you weren’t in control, and I guess I can’t fault you for that. Just bad circumstances. But did you enjoy it?” Stiles asked. He knew it was a petty question, but couldn’t help himself.

“What?” Derek choked out.

“I want to know if you enjoyed it. I have to assume that you did, since it wasn’t the only time the two of you slept together, was it?”

Derek’s eyes widened. He began stuttering, glancing back and forth between Scott and Stiles, clearly not sure how to answer that. Stiles was disappointed. He had been planning on leaving Derek regardless of what was said, but he had at least hoped for honesty. It was clear that Derek’s plan had been to just bring up the supernatural incident, and hope that absolved him, but hadn’t been prepared for Scott being there to keep him in check.

“Well? I’m waiting! I want to know how many times you slept with my dad. You said you would explain things to me, so get to it!”

“Okay, okay,” Derek put his hands up in a placating manner and took a steadying breath. “It was the fall after you had graduated. You were taking a gap year before you started grad school.” Stiles felt sick when he realized that during that time they were engaged, but he made no move to stop Derek. “And I had thought that we would have so much time together, that it could be just the two of us. But then you kept leaving. You kept being invited across the world for different supernatural trainings and to meet druids and mages who could help you with your Spark. It was after you had spoken to Deaton, and he got out to the supernatural community that there was a young Spark in need of training. It was right after that time you accidentally knocked Isaac out when you got angry at him and unintentionally sent a lamp right to his face. We were all so worried that you would lose control, or that you could get hurt. So I completely understood. You needed training. And I was happy you had these opportunities. But then Deaton said I probably shouldn’t join you on those trips. And you agreed, because the trips were important and you didn’t want to be distracted. And I of course agreed too. It was your decision and I didn’t want to be responsible if anything went wrong. But then you started being away more than you were home…

“The worst was when you went on that three-week backpacking trip in South America and didn’t have any service. I had known it was going to be hard, since it had been years since I had gone that long without speaking to you. But the really hard part was that the anniversary of my family’s death was during that time. And I know you checked with me to make sure it was okay that you went, but how was I supposed to say no? I didn’t want to be the overly possessive and clingy boyfriend who held their partner back. And then the date of the anniversary came. I don’t know why, but I really had expected you would find a way to contact me, even though you had told me you wouldn’t be able to. I kept sniffing your clothes and looking at pictures of us and listening to voicemails from months before but I still felt so alone. I felt like I had nobody. It truly felt like I once again had no family. But then I remembered how John had said I was family, and that he would always be there for me. So I went to go see him.

“He comforted me. We talked about grief and loss. He could empathize with what I had been through. And he was also struggling. You were the only family he had left and he also had a tough time dealing with you being gone so often. We started talking about memories of you and the pack, reminiscing. I don’t know exactly how it came up, but one of us brought up the… transgression from when I had been feral. And neither of us could really stop thinking about it. Neither of us really said anything, but there was kind of an unspoken agreement that if one of us was to initiate… well, the other one wouldn’t say no. But neither of us said anything further. We talked some more and I went back home.

“And I really had been planning on forgetting about all of that. But then you ended up deciding last minute to extend your trip. I had had a welcome home dinner prepared and I had been so excited and when I found out you weren’t coming back, I was devastated. I was hurt and angry and I just wanted to feel something. So I texted John that I was coming over and then… and then we slept together.

“You have to understand. We were both so lonely and sad. We were just looking for intimacy and comfort. We never did anything again. It was just so hard to think and act rationally without you there. It doesn't change how much I love you. There has never been anybody I have loved as much as you. The circumstances were shitty and that was the only reason.”

Stiles was gobsmacked after Derek’s spiel. “Are you seriously trying to put the blame on me? I was learning how to handle my spark! It was crucial that I did or I could have died or even killed somebody! You knew I was busy and that I had to be away and if you were that worried you could have tried harder to tell me how you felt. I even gave you ample opportunity to stop me from leaving. Or you could have broken up with me. Hell, even if you felt like an affair was necessary, literally any other person on earth would have been less upsetting. There are so many alternatives. So stop making excuses, because it was nothing more than you putting yourself and your dick and anger before me. Before our happiness and our life together. Like, do you understand how fucked up what you did was? There is literally nothing I could have done that would have justified my fiancé cheating on me with my only living family member. I let you into my family and you destroyed it.”

Stiles collapsed onto the couch. He felt like the fight was drained out of him. The whole day had been an emotional rollercoaster, and he felt like he was hitting a new low. He sighed. “I think what hurts the most is that I know you’re a good person. I mean, you took in a bunch of high school kids who needed guidance and made them a family, made them a pack. Even with all of the shit life has thrown your way, I still see the kindness inside of you. How you help old ladies carry their bags and volunteer at the homeless shelter at least once a month. How you first started going to therapy sessions to show Isaac that caring about your mental health didn’t make you weak, and how you have a calendar not only with all of the pack member’s birthdays but all of the important dates to them, like anniversaries of weddings and anniversaries of death. And I think to myself, for someone so good to hurt me so tremendously, in such an outrageous way, how little must I matter? How bad must I be?”

“Stiles-” Derek’s voice was broken, like he was physically pained by those words, and he looked like he was, too.

“The sad thing is that you helped me so much with my self-image. You made me feel beautiful and strong and loved and like I deserved to be happy. But clearly, I didn’t deserve to be happy. Or at least, you didn’t think I did. And maybe it’s my fault. Maybe you did this because I wasn’t enough, because I was just an inexperienced kid who didn’t know how to satisfy you. Maybe I wasn’t attractive enough, or maybe I was too annoying. Or maybe I should have known better than to prioritize my training over someone so clearly out of my league. Maybe my dad did it because he blamed me for my mother’s death. Maybe all of this is a punishment for the many sins I’ve committed. Maybe I can never make up for the lives I have taken, and maybe I just don’t deserve love and happiness. And honestly, I could live with that. It’s not like it’s something I haven’t been thinking for years. I would understand you not loving me, because I love you so much more than I could ever love myself. But you are cruel for the happiness you gave me. You are cruel for crafting a love out of lies, for making me feel like I deserved that content feeling and that I could have it. Because being so high just makes the fall harder. I think that’s the most unforgivable thing you did. Giving me the one thing I wasn’t sure I could ever have or deserve, only to pull it right out from under me. I would gladly go back to the days of you pushing me around, of you never showing gratitude when I put my life at risk, and threatening to kill me. The days when I was positive you hated me, and understood because I was just a spastic teen. Your hatred hurt so much less than your false love.” Stiles leaned his head back, trying desperately to keep his tears from falling. “Please, just go. I have nothing else to say to you.”

Derek immediately began protesting and tried to approach Stiles. Within moments, Scott was in front of him, cutting him off with a growl. “He said he wants you to leave, so I suggest you leave.”

Derek growled back. “No, get out of my way. He’s my husband and my mate and I need to talk to him and comfort him.”

Stiles piped up from the couch, “Not anymore you’re not.”

Derek whined at that. “You heard him. He doesn’t want you here. He has me to comfort him, so just go,” Scott said.

Derek growled. “Why should you be the one to comfort him? How are you any better? You lied to him too!”

Scott cursed under his breath and Stiles abruptly sat up. “Wait, what did Scott lie about?”

Derek furrowed his eyebrows. “I mean he knew what happened that first time since he had come back to the house while it was still happening, and he didn’t tell you.” Stiles gasped, a look of betrayal on his face, while Scott just looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. Derek furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait, if Scott didn’t tell you then how did you find out?”

“I found the video on your computer,” Stiles replied numbly, still staring in shock at his (former?) best friend.

Derek cursed while Scott made a face. “Ew, you had a video? That’s sick, man.”

Derek turned to glare at Scott, and soon they were both flashing their eyes at each other, claws beginning to extend as they growled lowly.

“Shut up!” Stiles shouted. He turned to Scott. “Did you really know? Please don’t lie.”

Scott sighed. “I knew about the first time. I returned to the house while it was happening. But it was supernatural, and I figured it would only hurt you if I told you, and you had already had so much hurt due to the supernatural world! I didn’t want you to be upset so it seemed like it would be easier if everyone just forgot about it. But I didn’t know about the second time, I swear!”

“Oh my god,” Stiles muttered, running a hand over his face. "Do you know how much pain you would've saved me if you had just told me? I wouldn't have wasted years on this cheating bastard and wouldn't be in this shitty situation. What the fuck gave you the right to keep that information from me?" He shouted at Scott, but turned away before Scott could answer. He looked at Derek and laughed bitterly. “And you. Of course. Of fucking course. I’m clearly an idiot for even thinking I could have something good. It was bad enough that your actions lost me my dad and husband, my family, of course you would also have to take my best friend, my brother from me. Jesus Christ, man, this keeps getting worse. At this point, I’m wondering if this was a long con to make me miserable out of some weird misguided revenge because I can think of no other reason you would fuck me over so badly. You’re the worst person I have ever met. God, I wish I had never met you. I wish I hadn’t wasted my energy saving your ungrateful ass so many times. Hell, I wish I was never even born because that would be better than any universe where I have to deal with you. You selfish prick. You’re a goddamn monster, and I should’ve realized it the first time I saw your eyes glow blue.”

Derek squeezed his eyes shut, and furiously shook his head. By the way his hands were balled into fists and his whole body was tense, it was clear he was trying to hold back his shift. “You don’t mean that. I know you don’t mean that,” he ground out desperately.

Stiles shrugged, feeling the fight leave him as exhaustion settled deep. “Does it matter, whether I do or don’t? After what you’ve done, I have to assume that my opinion and feelings matter very little to you. And I frankly don’t care enough to make you believe the words. I want you to hurt, but more than that, I want to never see you again. I want to move on, away from you. I want to forget that I ever even knew you and start afresh. And there’s certainly a part of me that hopes that this will make you regret it, that you’ll stew in your misery and self-hatred. But frankly, I won’t be worrying about that. You have had my mind, body, and soul for the last few years, and you don’t deserve any of it for a second more. I’m going to get far away from here, and I will not waste a single second more thinking about you. I know I’ll never truly stop loving you, unless I forget you. So that’s what I’ll do.”

“No!” Derek exclaimed, “You can’t leave all of this life behind. We can make this work, we can get better. And even if we can’t… you shouldn’t have to leave. If it comes down to it, I’ll leave, you can keep it all. I just want to know that you are safe and provided for. You deserve to keep your home.”

Derek gave him sorrowful eyes that would have made him melt just a day ago, but now Stiles just rolled his eyes. “You always were the best at that self-sacrificial bullshit. I don’t want to stay. You’re right that I deserve the apartment and everything here, but did you not hear me saying I want to forget everything? Everything in that apartment will remind me of you, that whole city has been tainted by memories of you, and so has Beacon Hills. I’m leaving, and I’m not going to ever again come within a 100-mile radius of this hellish place if I can help it.”

Scott interjected. “Wait, what? Why are you talking about leaving? This is your home, you have to stay here.”

“I don’t have to do shit. You lost the right to any say in my life when you betrayed my trust.”

Scott let out a pitiful whine. “I didn’t mean to, I was just trying to protect you.”

“Does that change what you did?” Scott stared back, unsure of how to respond. Stiles turned on his heel. He grabbed his luggage, which was lying unopened next to the couch, as he hadn’t had the energy to unpack, and then started to the front door. He could hear both Scott and Derek protesting, but he didn’t bother responding. His plan was to just walk away, but he stopped at the front door. There was more to be said.

“Scott… I’m so mad I can barely stand to look at you. But I think maybe I will forgive you one day. And even if I can’t, I still want to be able to see my goddaughter. But please wait until I contact you, I just need space and I need you to respect that.” He took a deep breath, “Derek. I’m not entirely sure what else there is to say. If I see you in the afterlife it will be too soon. I do not consider you my husband anymore. In fact, I don’t consider our marriage as ever being legitimate, seeing as you cheated on me while we were engaged. Obviously, though, that’s not how the law works. I’m sure one day there will be legal issues that will require an official divorce. But I will put that off as long as I can, just so I don’t have to see you. Our finances are connected, so I’m going to have to do my best to separate them. If you try to use those finances to track me down, then I’ll flee again and just stop using them. Which would mean I'd have no money or any way to support myself, so I would prefer you didn't do that, but if you want to fuck up my life some more, go right ahead. I would rather be penniless and homeless than anywhere near you. I never, ever want to see you again, and I will never forgive you for what you have done. I genuinely don’t care if you find happiness after I leave, or if you spend the rest of your life regretting what you’ve done, just as long as your life is disconnected from mine. You mean absolutely nothing to me.”

Derek was openly sobbing. After years of comforting him through every struggle and hardship, Stiles’ instincts were screaming at him to run into Derek’s arms and tell him that everything was going to be okay. But things weren’t going to be okay. And no matter the pain Derek was feeling, it could not compare to the pain Stiles himself felt. And so he left. It probably wouldn’t be the last of Beacon Hills in his life, but it would be last the last time he would view it as his home.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you thought! I hope this answered all of your answers, I loved hearing what people thought and were curious about after the last fic. I don't currently have plans for a sequel, but may continue the series if inspiration strikes. Thank you for reading! And if you comment, I love you!


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